Spec Resources

Free work or Spec (speculative) work can be defined as, "Providing design services to develop creative concept work for free (or for a nominal fee) as part of a new business pitch."

The RGD Code of Ethics prevents RGD Members from doing work on spec.

Below are resources explaining why doing work on spec is detrimental to professional designers AND their clients.

No Spec Presentation at Style Frames NY by Lionel Gadoury RGD
What is Spec Work? informational video by Topic Simple
The NO! SPEC Campaign by NO!SPEC
Position on Spec Work by AIGA
Working on Spec: Speculative Work for Free by All Graphic Design
Why We Don't Make Speculative Presentations by Creative Business
When a "Contest" is Not a Contest by Jeff Fisher
Don't Design on Spec by Jeffrey Zeldman
Spec Work Arithmetic by Gunnar Swanson
Should Clients Cough up for Pitches? by Gillian Jones
Giving It All Away by David Robertson FDIA
Spec Can Be Beaten by Blair Enns
Time for Us All to Ditch Spec Creative Pitches by Zak Mroueh
BuzzFeed article: A Lot Of People Are Feeling This Angry Email From A Designer Who Claims He Was Asked To “Work For Free”

For information on RGD's recent anti-spec successes, and other advocacy efforts, click here.

To inform us of a case of spec work or for further information please contact:

Hilary Ashworth, Executive Director
E-mail:
Phone: 1.888.274.3668 x 0023